A Daughter of Durin
by 8812epic
Summary: I am of the royal line of Durin, I was the only girl in the company of Thorin Oakenshield and I would love to share the adventure with you. If you are up for it that is.


A Daughter of Durin

Hello I am Tili and I am a dwarf. You may be wondering what it is I'm doing here. Well fear not for I intend to tell you.

It started out as a normal day for my two brothers and I. But that soon changed when a messenger on horseback handed my eldest brother a letter. It was addressed to the Durin Princes and Princess, in a very familiar hand.

"Uncle Thorin!" I exclaimed.

Our uncle's letters were rare and they always held the best news and occasionally a few extra coins for the princess of Durin.

"Open it!" My dark haired brother, Kili demanded.

"Okay, Durin's beard could you two be any more excited?" My fair haired brother, Fili was attempting to open the letter and keep Kili and I at bay.

When he finally got it open, he turned it upside down to shake whatever coins there were into the palm of his hand.

I heard the clinking of each coin as it hit the ring on his fourth finger.

"Two gold and nineteen silver." Fili held out his hand and dumped the coins into my waiting fingers.

"That's twice as much as he usually sends!"

"He must have something big planed." Kili looked at the contents of my hands.

"I'd say so. Look at this!" Fili thrust the letter at Kili.

I peered over his arm at the writing, it read.

"My dearest nephews and niece, I would like for you three to join me in a quest. A quest to reclaim our homeland, Erebor. It will be a long hard journey but the reward will be the sweetest there ever was. If you are to join me meet me at the home of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who lives in Bag-End in a months' time. You will know when you have arrived at the right house by a small mark on the door. The mark of Gandalf."

"We have to go!" I nearly yelled.

"Tili, Mother won't be happy about you going." Fili stated.

"Since when have I cared what mother is happy with me doing?"

"Never."

"Exactly."

I started leading the way to our home, Fili and Kili following suit.

"Mother!" I hollered as I walked through the door.

"Tili what have told you about yelling? It is very unbefitting of a princess."

"Mother, you know I don't want to be a princess. Besides we got a letter from uncle today!"

"Oh?"

"He wants us to join in a quest to reclaim Erebor." Fili piped up.

"And you want to take Kili and Tili, with you? Do you know how insane that is?"

"Mother, he didn't just ask for Fili. He asked for all of us." Kili cut in.

"And I think you're forgetting that we are all trained warriors. Kili and I are trained in both archery and swords." I followed up.

"That is beside the point. This is not an easy journey."

"We know, uncle already told us it would be long and hard." Fili assured.

She sighed.

"You three are just as stubborn as your father and uncle. You can go." She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a small stone. "Kili, this was your father's rune stone he took it into every battle and on each adventure he ever went on."

She placed the stone in the palm of Kili's hand. he turned it over and read the runes carved into its face.

"Inikhde."

Return to me.

"Keep it as a promise for all three of you to return to me."

"We promise." We said in unison.

We surrounded her and practically crushed her in one of our famous Durin siblings bear hugs.

"We love you Mother!" We exclaimed as we pulled away.

"I love you too. Now, if you want to go you should start packing." She had tears in her eyes but was smiling.

I instantly ran to my room, which I shared with my brothers, and started packing.

I grabbed a few extra tunics and trousers, -yes I wear boy's clothes- along with a blanket and my bedroll.

When I tried to find my pack, Kili and Fili came running down the hall pushing each other out of the way in a race to see who was faster.

I turned around just in time to see Kili slip and almost face plant into the heavy oak door.

"Whoa!" He cried, as he caught himself.

"Ah-ha I win!" Fili danced a little jig in the middle of the room.

"Yeah, Yeah, go kiss an orc."

"Oh come on Kee don't be a sore loser!"

"I'm not a 'sore loser.'"

"You just don't like to lose." I mumbled.

"I heard that Tili."

"You were meant to."

"Ha, ha, very funny. You don't exactly like to lose either you know."

"Nobody likes to lose."

I pulled my pack out from under a pile of blankets, tossed it on my bed, and proceeded to stuff my clothes into it.

"Where's my sword?" I asked no one in particular.

"Did you check the weapons closet?" Fili asked from his crouched position in front of he and Kili's shared dresser.

"Oh right."

The weapons closet was located in the hallway halfway between uncle Thorin's room and our room.

Mother insisted that unless we absolutely needed our swords or bows that they stay in the closet.

But uncle Thorin always kept a dagger under his mattress just in case.

In the closet was my bow and sword, both of which were placed in my scabbard mixed with a quiver.

I preferred to carry my bow, sword and arrows on my back that way my hands were free and I didn't have a sword knocking me in the back of the knees every time I took a step.

Hanging next to my weapons was Kili's scabbard mixture, his was almost identical to mine the only difference was the tooled pattern on the leather.

Laying on the shelf across from me were Fili's swords -he had twin swords.

He was incredibly skilled with them, I still had scars from sparring with him.

I grabbed my weapons and started back to my room.

When I turned the corner to enter the room, I saw Fili and Kili wrestling on the floor.

"You're not going to win this time!" Kili was sitting on top of Fili and had each of his wrists pinned to the floor.

"Oh yeah!" Fili rolled, pinning Kili underneath himself.

Kili struggled for a few minutes, until he was able to throw his leg around Fili's neck, forcing him to the stone floor.

"Ah-ha! Give up yet?"

"Give in Fili. There's no way you can get out of that." I spoke up.

"Okay, fine, I give."

Kili instantly jumped up from where he was sitting and danced the goofiest victory dance in history.

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips.

"What's so funny?" Kili inquired.

"Your dance!"

"Oh, you mean this one?" He began dancing again.

I laughed harder than I ever had.

"Come on you two. We need to get going." Fili tossed Kili a tunic.

We continued to pack until lunch, when our Mother called us to the kitchen.

"What was all the ruckus I heard earlier?"

Kili and Fili were silent.

"Kili and Fili were wrestling." I stuffed a hunk of chicken into my mouth.

"Boys what have I told you about wrestling in the house?"

"That we are never to do it." They recited in unison.

"Thanks a lot Tili." Kili shot me a glare from across the table.

"You're welcome."

We were on the road shortly after lunch, Kili and Fili were trotting ahead on their ponies Buttercup and Thistle and I was following a short distance behind on my pony Bluebell.

"Do you think we could stop by Gimli's?" I asked as I cantered beside Fili.

"I suppose we have time."

I spurred Bluebell into a gallop passing several dwarves on their way to work.

I could hear Kili and Fili galloping behind me attempting to gain ground.

"Come on boys! Keep up!" I looked back for a split second, when Bluebell skidded to a stop almost throwing me over her neck.

I couldn't stop the scream that erupted from my throat as I scrambled to grab anything that might help me regain my balance.

It turned out I was over to far and if it wasn't for Kili, I would have ended up in a pile of snow and mud.

"Oh no you don't." He grabbed the back of my coat and pulled me back into the saddle.

"Thanks Kee."

"Hey siblings look out for each other. Especially Durins."

"Siblings forever, Durins together."

He smiled.

"Aye."

We walked our ponies to the south east corner of the village, where Gimli, his mother and father lived.

Gimli was younger than me by nine years, he was a sixth or seventh cousin though he was more like a brother or best friend. He had red hair and a semi-long beard, and was shorter than me by about three inches.

"Gimli!" I yelled as I dismounted Bluebell in front of Gimli's cave -yes dwarves live in caves.

"Tili, where in Durin's name are you going?" Gimli appeared in the doorway.

"To Erebor. Aren't you coming?"

"No. My Father said I was too young."

"Oh."

"Is mister Gloin coming?" Kili questioned.

"Yes he's leaving after he's done with work."

"I figured he would come. after all we will need mister Oin to be our healer and Oin won't go without Gloin." Fili reasoned.

"It's such a shame you can't go. How can we pull pranks without you?" I had been planning out pranks all day.

"You'll figure something out."

"But it won't be the same!"

"She's right Gimli." Fili stated.

"Yeah you've always helped with our jokes." Kili agreed.

"I know, but I can't go against my Father's wishes or he'll kill me before we have our first battle."

"Kili knows how that is." I elbowed my brother in the side.

"So do you and Fili!"

"Not as much as you!"

"Both of you stop arguing."

We fell silent at Fili's command.

"Well I guess we'll see you when you and your mother come to Erebor." Fili shook Gimli's hand and mounted Buttercup.

Kili shook Gimli's had as well.

I on the other hand gave him a hug before I mounted up.

"Bye Gimli."

"Bye Tili."

We turned our ponies East and cantered toward the Shire where the hobbits lived.

I knew it would be at least a month before we reached Hobbiton.

It was true that I was not as well prepared for the throne as Fili and Kili but I knew more about the geography of Middle Earth. I had been studying it since a was fifteen, which was almost twice as long as Kili.

I had loved learning about all the different cultures and regions. The Elves were the most interesting, because of their languages and the fact that they are immortal.

In my studies I had learned a few words of Sindarin, but I had never been allowed to speak a word of it.

You see my uncle Thorin hated Elves with all his heart, mind and soul.

But he didn't always hate them he had only started to hate them after the dragon Smaug had taken Erebor, forcing all Durin's Folk out of the mountain to fend for themselves.

Most left for Ered Luin, more commonly known as the Blue Mountains, to find home and work. But some found refuge in the Iron Hills -where my second cousin Dain now ruled.

"What do you think the meeting was about?" I spoke up from behind my brothers.

I must have interrupted their conversation because they both looked back at me with shocked expressions.

"I'm not sure. But I'll bet it had something to do with reclaiming Erebor." Fili guessed after a moment of silence.

Uncle Thorin had traveled north about two weeks ago to a meeting with our kin, but he hadn't told anyone what the meeting was about.

At least I didn't think so.

We were about halfway down the mountain at this point and the sun was already getting low in the sky.

I knew where Fili and Kili would want to camp, there was a small clearing about ten minutes ride from where we were, it was a special spot for both of them.

They had camped there many times with our father, though I'm not entirely sure Kili remembers much, or any for that matter, of the trips.

Kili had only just turned six when our father had left for war, and never returned.

I hadn't been born yet, so I had never known our father.

And even today I hardly knew his name.

It pained my mother and uncle to speak of him, so I let it be.

And besides if I ever wanted to know about anything I could go to Fili -who had been eleven at the time.

I guessed that Fili got his looks from our father, because neither our mother nor uncle had blonde hair.

Uncle Thorin had blue eyes but his hair was black.

Mother had dark eyes and black hair, much like Kili the only difference was Kili's hair was dark brown not black.

"Fili?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what Da was like?"

"Mostly just images and what he sounded like."

"Can you tell me?"

"He was tall and thin, with hair slightly darker than mine but lighter than yours and green eyes like you have."

"He had green eyes?"

"Yes. Where did you think you got them?"

"I-I wasn't sure."

"You're more like Da than you thought."

"I guess. What did he sound like?"

"His voice was a lot like Kili's but a little deeper."

"Was he of Durin's Folk, or another clan?"

"I do believe he was a Broadbeam."

"So he fought in the War Of Orcs And Dwarves?"

"I don't think he did. You must remember that war was sixty years before I was born."

"Oh, right."

"Da was a Boadbeam?" Kili asked in disbelief.

"I do believe so. Why the surprise?"

"I always thought he was Durin's folk."

"No he was a Broadbeam."

"Huh, I never knew that."

"There's a lot you don't know."

We continued our ride in silence.

I had never known that my Father had been a Broadbeam I had always thought, like Kili, that he was Durin's Folk. But then again I hadn't really known anything about him until now.

The clearing was fairly large and had a creek running through the middle of it.

I could see why Da had brought Kili and Fili here all those years ago.

It was beautiful, I had never seen anything like it!

No wonder my brothers loved it so much!

I knew that they would always come here on specific days of the year and today just so happened to be one of those days.

This was the first time I had ever stayed the night here.

I knew Kili and Fili liked to come here alone, so I had never bugged them to let me go along.

"What did you and Da like to do when you came here?"

Fili was silent for a long while.

"I remember he would teach Kili and I how to use our weapons. Actually this is where he gave me my first sword."

"You didn't always have twin swords?"

"No I started out with a single blade, like you and Kili have."

"So why did you change to the twin blades?"

"When uncle Thorin had me in training with double swords, I fell in love with them and I've used them ever since."

"Do you still have the sword?"

"Of course! I'll show you after we take back Erebor."

"Deal!"

We unsaddled our ponies while we talked and after Fili sent Kili and I into the wood surrounding our camp to hunt some small game.

"What do you usually hunt here?" I whispered.

"Rabbits, doves, squirrels, any small game we can find."

I nodded.

We walked for about ten minutes in complete silence.

It wasn't the awkward silence that most people share, it was a comfortable silence one where we were completely trusting each other.

I trusted Kili with my life and he trusted me with his.

It was a bond we had spent the last sixty one years building and no matter what I wouldn't lose it, not now not ever.

"There!" Kili pointed toward a small figure crouched in the grass about ten yards away .

Kili always let me have first shot, so as quickly as I dared I reached above my shoulder and wrapped my fingers around my bow pulling it from it's place on my back -I also managed to grab an arrow.

Drawing back my bow, I took a deep breath and relaxed my shoulders.

Then I loosed the arrow.

It sailed through the air and we heard the 'thwack' as it found it's mark, buried deep in the rabbits chest.

We walked with all the calmness that we had been taught through our years, to collect the kill.

"Good shot!" Kili clapped me on the back, a huge grin on his face.

"What can I say? I learned from the best archer in Ered Luin."

"Mister Dwalin?"

"Well him too."

"Tee I didn't Teach you that much."

"Yes you did! You taught me how to relax and breath so I can hit my target."

"Mister Dwalin did most of that."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the rabbit.

"Come on we're going to need at least one more of these if any of us want a full stomach tonight."


End file.
